Working with MCommunity Groups in U-M Google

Overview

You can use MCommunity groups to collaborate in U-M Google and manage access to files/folders. When using approved sensitive data, ensure that all group members are in compliance.

The "Members list is viewable to" setting in MCommunity is synced to U-M Google. MCommunity group members without an @umich.edu email address are not synced to U-M Google. However, you can collaborate using their personal Google accounts, or they can request access via notification emails.

Important: You cannot use MCommunity groups associated with Shared Accounts to share files with group members or invite group members to calendar events in Google. Doing so will only send/share/invite the Shared Account and not the group's members. MCommunity groups you can use have "Sent to Google UMICH" set to Yes in the Rules Summary. This setting cannot be changed.

For more information on MCommunity and Google, refer to MCommunity Group Synchronization to U-M Google and Dropbox.

Google Mail

The MCommunity system forwards email messages sent to MCommunity groups. All group members, including those external to U-M, and all sub-group members receive them.

Note: This behavior differs from that of Google Drive and Calendar.

Google Calendar Invitations

Some group members appear when invited to a U-M Google Calendar event. Group members respond individually by clicking Yes, in a meeting room, Yes, joining virtually, Maybe, or No to the email invitation. Displayed member lists are based on the following MCommunity setting:

  • Members list is viewable by anyone

    This displays the member list as a drop-down list below the group name for anyone logged in to MCommunity with their U-M credentials. Use this setting for public groups.

  • Members list is viewable by only members

    This setting displays the member list as a drop-down below the group name for group members who are logged in to MCommunity with their U-M credentials. For non-members, only the group name will display. Use this setting for private groups. Invitations are sent to all @umich.edu members of the group but not to external members.

Note: Group owners can change this setting in MCommunity.

Google Drive

Share files/folders

Share your file or folder with the group's email address instead of each specific individual.

Important:

  • Aliases ("Also Known As" names) are not available.
  • When sharing approved sensitive data, ensure all group members are compliant.
  • External members of MCommunity groups (i.e., [email protected] email addresses) will not receive access to shared files or folders. You will need to share resources with each external member individually.
  • MCommunity group owners must also be members to access group-shared content.
If you restrict who can send email to your group, sharing notifications from Google stating that someone has shared a file/folder with the group in Drive will bounce/be blocked. Although the email appears to come from the individual who shared the item with the group, the address it is actually sent from is a unique identifier ending in "@google.com." (However, the group will still be shared on the item even if they don't receive a notification via email.) There is no workaround for this other than removing the moderation settings. If you share something with a moderated group, even if you yourself are allowed to send to the group, you will need to notify the members that you have shared something with them in Drive another way.

Access files/folders

Group members can access files/folders shared with the group by clicking the link in the notification email. They will also appear in the Shared with me section in Google Drive. U-M group members must log in with their U-M Google account.

Last Updated
Monday, February 16, 2026